Yet in spite of this there was no dearth of astrologers at that time, for the Seth I have mentioned flourished then, and there was also a famous Egyptian, Alexandreus, who was a strong exponent of the mysteries of astrology. He was consulted by many and used to give most accurate forecasts in many cases, not even using the astrolabe, but made his prophecies by a certain casting of dice. There was nothing magical about that either, it was an art practised by the Alexandrians (or by Alexandreus). When the Emperor saw how the young people flocked to him and regarded the man as a species of prophet, he himself consulted him twice and each time Alexandreus gave very correct answers. But the Emperor was afraid that harm might come to many from it and that all, would be led away to the vain pursuit of astrology, so he banished him from the capital, assigned Raedestus as his dwelling-place and showed great consideration for him, and his means of living were amply supplied from the imperial treasury. Nay more, the great dialectician, Eleutherius, also an Egyptian by birth, cultivated this art too and carried it to such perfection that he yielded the palm to no one. Later again, a man called Catanances from Athens came to the capital, anxious to carry off the first prize among astrologers and when questioned by some about the date of the Emperor’s death, he foretold it as he thought, but was proved wrong in his prognostication. It happened, however, that the lion which was kept in the palace died that day, after four days’ fever, so the vulgar considered that the prophecy of Catanances had been accomplished. After some considerable time he again foretold the date of the Emperor’s death and was mistaken; yet the Emperor’s mother, the Empress Anna, died on the very day Catanances had foretold. Because Catanances had made repeated mistakes in his predictions about him, the Emperor did not like to banish him as he was self-convicted, and also it might seem that he banished him in anger. But now let us return to the point in our history where we abandoned it, otherwise we shall be thought to be star gazers, obscuring the main theme of our history with the names of astrologers. (tr. Elizabeth Dawes)

A certain mathematician named Seth who boasted much of his knowledge of astrology had forecast Robert’s fate by an oracle, after his crossing to Illyria, written this forecast on a paper, sealed it and entrusted it to some of the Duke’s intimates, bidding them keep it till a certain time. After Robert’s death they opened it by the astrologer’s order and the prophecy was as follows: “A great enemy from the west shall fall suddenly after having stirred up great confusion.” This caused everybody to marvel at the man’s knowledge; and in truth he had delved very deeply into this branch of science, and if I may be allowed to make a short break in the course of my history, the following are the facts about astrological prophecies. The discovery is fairly recent, and the science of it was not known to the ancients. For this method of divination did not exist in the time of Eudoxus, the greatest of all astronomers, neither did Plato have any knowledge of it, and even the astrologer, Manetho, had not brought it to perfection. Now these (astrologers) observe the hour of the birth of the persons about whom they intend to prophesy, and fix the cardinal points and carefully note the disposition of all the stars, in short they do everything that the inventor of this science bequeathed to posterity and which those who trouble about such trifles understand. We, also, at one time dabbled a little in this science, not in order to cast horoscopes (God forbid!), but by gaining a more accurate idea of this vain study to be able to pass judgment upon its devotees. I do not mention this for the sake of boasting, but to prove that during my father’s reign many of the sciences made great progress, as he honoured both philosophers and philosophy itself, but towards this teaching of astrology he showed some hostility, I believe because it tended to make people of a guileless nature reject their faith in God and gape at the stars. This was the cause of the Emperor’s waging war against the teaching of astrology. (tr. Elizabeth Dawes)

If men, who clearly sense the weight that rests
upon their souls and drags them weary down,
could also know what causes this, and whence
this pain that lies like lead upon their hearts,
they would not live as commonly now we see them,
not knowing what they want, in endless quest
of change, as if by this to slough their burden.
Day after day, the great man leaves his palace,
bored sick with home, yet comes right back again
because he finds no better world outside.
He drives his nags top-speed out to his villa,
as if it were burning, and he to put out the fire;
he’s yawning before his foot has passed the door;
in weary search for oblivion, he sleeps,
or turns and gallops away to town again.
Thus each man runs from himself—the self, of course,
he can’t escape but must hold close; he hates it
because, being sick, he can’t know why he’s sick.
If he could see this clear, he’d drop all else
and plunge into learning the nature of the world,
for through eternity, not one hour, extends
the state we’re questioning in which all men,
once they have died, must be, time without end.(tr. Frank O. Copley)

When these abnormal sins have been completed, the candles are lit again and each resumes his place. Then from a dark corner of the room a man comes forward. From the loins upward he shines brighter than the sun, as they say, but his lower part is shaggy like a cat. His brilliance illuminates the entire place. Then the master plucks off something from the novice’s clothing, and says to that radiant figure: “Master, this has been given to me; I in turn give it to you.” The shining one then answers: “You have served me well; and in the future you will often serve me again, and even better. I entrust to your care that which you have given me.” And with these words he vanishes instantly. They even receive the body of the Lord every year at Easter from the hand of the priest, and, carrying it home in their mouths, they throw it into the latrine in contempt of our Saviour. These most wretched of men, who blaspheme the divine ruler with their polluted lips, also claim in their madness that the lord of heavens has acted violently, unjustly and guilefully in casting Lucifer down into hell. These wretches even worship him, they declare that he is the creator of all heavenly bodies, and that after the downfall of God he will return to his former glory. Through him, and with him, and not before him they hope to reach eternal bliss. They profess that all deeds that are pleasing to God should not be done, and one should rather do what God hates. Lord have mercy, who has ever heard of such things? (tr. Alex October1625, adapted and expanded by David Bauwens)

Afterwards, they sit down to a meal and when they have arisen from it, from a kind of statue that is usually present in a sect of this kind, a black cat, the size of an average dog, descends backwards, with its tail erect. First the novice, next the master, then all those who are worthy and perfect, kiss the cat on its buttocks, each one waiting his turn. To those who have not yet reached perfection, however, and are considered undeserving, the master wishes peace. Then each returns to his place and they recite certain verse, their heads inclined toward to cat. “Forgive us!” then says the master, and the one next to him repeats this, and a third one says in reply: “We know, master!” A fourth says: “We too must obey.” When this has been done, they put out the candles, and turn to the practice of the most disgusting lechery. They make no distinction between strangers and family. And if by chance those of the male sex exceed the number of women, surrendering to their despicable passions, they satisfy their lust among themselves: men engage in depravity with men, and likewise women change their natural function to one that is against nature, and most offensively do these things to each other. (tr. Alex October1625, adapted by David Bauwens)

The following rites of this pestilence are carried out: when any novice is to be received among them and enters the sect of the damned for the first time, the shape of a certain frog appears to him, the type that is usually called a toad. Some kiss this creature despicably on the hind quarters and some on the mouth, and they receive the tongue and saliva of the beast inside their mouths. Sometimes it appears unduly large, and sometimes equivalent to a goose or a duck; often it even assumes the size of an oven. At length, when the novice has come forward, he is met by a man of wondrous pallor, who has the blackest eyes and is so emaciated and thin that, since his flesh has been wasted, only his skin seems remain, drawn over his bones. The novice kisses him and feels cold like ice, and after the kiss the memory of the Catholic faith totally disappears from his heart. (tr. Alex October1625, adapted by David Bauwens)

And the formula of the Eleusinian mysteries is as follows: “I fasted; I drank the draught; I took from the chest; having done my task, I placed in the basket, and from the basket into the chest.” Beautiful sights indeed, and fit for a goddess! Yes, such rites are meet for night and torch fires, and for the “great-hearted”—I should rather say empty-headed—people of the Erechtheidae, with the rest of the Greeks as well, “whom after death there await such things as they little expect.” Against whom does Heracleitus of Ephesus utter this prophecy? Against “night-roamers, magicians, Bacchants, Lenaean revellers and devotees of the mysteries.” These are the people whom he threatens with the penalties that follow death; for these he prophesies the fire. “For in unholy fashion are they initiated into the mysteries customary among men.” The mysteries, then, are mere custom and vain opinion, and it is a deceit of the serpent that men worship when, with spurious piety, they return towards these sacred initiations that are really profanities, and solemn rites that are without sanctity. (tr. George William Butterworth)